Chapter 10 Key Terms

Front 1

direct mail

Back 1

A means of soliciting funds from millions of
people

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red states

Back 2

Refers to states where the Republican
candidate carried the electoral vote

Front 3

blue states

Back 3

Refers to states where the Democratic
candidate carried the electoral vote

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visual

Back 4

A filmed episode showing a candidate doing
something newsworthy

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talking heads

Back 5

Televised pictures showing nothing more
than individuals speaking

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Democrats

Back 6

Party that would always win presidential
elections if party identification were
the only thing that influenced the vote

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Republican

Back 7

Party that typically gets the greater support
from so-called independent voters

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Independent

Back 8

A voter describing herself or himself as
neither a Democrat nor a Republican

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soft money

Back 9

Can be given to the parties in limitless
amounts so long as it is not used to
back candidates by name

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sophomore surge

Back 10

The tendency for newly elected members of
Congress to become strong in their
districts very quickly

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political action committee (PAC) X

Back 11

A group legally able to solicit campaign
contributions from individuals within
an organization and, under certain
restrictions, to funnel these to
candidates for office

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primary election

Back 12

An election intended to select a party’s
candidates for elective office

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caucus

Back 13

A meeting of voters to help choose a
candidate for office

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general election

Back 14

An election used to fill an elective office

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closed primary

Back 15

A primary election in which voters must first
declare to which party they belong

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open primary

Back 16

A primary in which voters can vote for the
candidates of either the Democratic or
the Republican party

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blanket primary

Back 17

A primary in which voters can vote for the
Democratic candidates, the
Republican candidates, or some from
each party

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runoff primary

Back 18

A primary in which, to be successful, the
candidate must receive a majority of
all votes cast in that race

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527 organizations X

Back 19

Organizations that, under an IRS code, raises
and spends money to advance
political causes

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incumbent X

Back 20

The person currently in office

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malapportionment X

Back 21

The result of having districts of very unequal
size

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gerrymandering X

Back 22

Drawing a district in some bizarre or unusual
manner in order to create an electoral
advantage

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position issue

Back 23

An issue dividing the electorate on which
rival parties adopt different policy
positions to attract voters

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presidential primary

Back 24

A primary held to select delegates to the
presidential nominating conventions
of the major parties

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prospective voting

Back 25

Voting for a candidate because one favors
his or her ideas for addressing issues
after the election

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retrospective voting

Back 26

Voting for the candidate or party in office
because one likes or dislikes how
things have gone in the recent past

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spots

Back 27

Short television advertisements used to
promote a candidate for government
office

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valence issue X

Back 28

An issue on which voters distinguish rival
parties by the degree to which they
associate each party with conditions
or goals that the electorate universally
supports or opposes